US20070138033A1

US20070138033A1 - Bottle having device for mixing different kinds of materials separately contained therein and in bottle

Info

Publication number: US20070138033A1
Application number: US11/305,027
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Cho
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-19
Filing date: 2005-12-19
Publication date: 2007-06-21
Also published as: CN101410308A; CN101070112A; WO2007073073A8; CN101410308B; CN101070112B; WO2007073073A1; US20070240999A1

Abstract

A bottle which allows for an additive to be held in a container within the receptacle of the bottle separately from the contents held in the receptacle of the bottle until the time for mixture desired by the user. The bottle having a receptacle and a mouth leading into the receptacle. The bottle having the container in the receptacle. The container being formed to hold a substance therein and release the substance into the receptacle when the container is squeezed with at least a predetermined amount of pressure. The container having a first member and a second member overlapping at least a portion of the first member in a slideable engagement to define a cavity therein. The second member having an opening formed through the surface, which is sufficiently sized to allow for a discharge of a substance contained in the cavity to be discharged therethrough. A cover is formed on the second member closing the opening. The first member and second member are formed and positioned so that squeezing the first member toward the second member causes the first member to slide into the second member and open the cover of the second member to expose the opening of the second member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to bottles, which contain a variety of materials, such as drinks, liquid medicines or liquid chemicals, therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to bottles having a device therein, which provides for a mixing of an additive contained therein with a material contained in a bottle to prepare a mixture in accordance with a simple application of pressure on the device relative to the bottle, performed by a user, thus allowing the user to easily prepare the mixture just before taking or using the mixture.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, most of conventional disposable bottles circulated and sold in markets each contain therein only a single kind of material, such as a drink, a liquid medicine or a liquid chemical, and are closed by caps at mouths thereof. When a user wants to add an additive to the material contained in such a capped bottle so as to prepare a mixture prior to taking or using the mixture, the user must add the additive from a separate container to the bottled material after removing a cap from the bottle. Therefore, it is necessary for manufacturers of the additives and the bottled materials to separately contain such additives and materials in separate containers and bottles prior to marketing them, thus undesirably wasting natural resources due to the production of the separate containers and capped bottles. In addition, the adding of the additive from the separate container to the bottled material to mix them after removing the cap from the bottle is inconvenient to the user, because the user is forced to separately purchase and handle the additive container and the bottle.
Furthermore, it is almost impossible for the user to add a precise desired amount of the additive from the separate container to the material contained in the bottle. In such a case, the user ends up roughly measuring the amount of the additive to be added to the bottled material. Therefore, in the case of mixing of an additive with a bottled drink to produce a mixed beverage, the rough measurement of the amount of the additive may result in change in taste and quality of the mixed beverage. In the case of mixing of an additive with a bottled liquid medicine or a bottled liquid chemical to produce a mixed medicine or a mixed chemical, the rough measurement of the amount of the additive may result in incomplete dissolution of effective ingredients of the additive in the medicine or the chemical and a failure of accomplishment of desired medical or chemical effects of the mixed medicine or the mixed chemical.
Of course, when mixtures are prepared by manufacturers at factories and are marketed in a bottled state, in place of allowing users to mix additives with bottled materials to prepare mixtures just before taking or using the mixtures, it is possible to avoid the above-described problems experienced in the mixing of the additives with the bottled materials performed by the users. However, the mixtures which are prepared by the manufacturers and marketed in the bottled state are problematic in that the effects of ingredients of the bottled mixtures may be gradually degraded as time goes by, in addition to change in colors of the mixtures. Furthermore, the bottled mixtures may generate floating matters and deposit therein with passage of time.
There are bottles in the prior art, which have caps containing a substance separately therein from the substance contained in the bottle. The substance in the cap is released for mixture with the substance in the bottle with a predetermined rotation of the cap prior to use of the bottle for consumption. None of the bottles in the prior art teaches the item taught in the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bottle which allows for an additive to be held in the bottle separately from the contents held in the receptacle of the bottle until the time for mixture desired by the user. It is another object of the present invention to allow the additive and the contents of the receptacle to be mixed with a simple squeezing action, performed by a user, thereby allowing the user to easily prepare the mixture just before talking or using the mixture, thus overcoming the problems of degradation in the effects of ingredients, change in colors, and the generation of floating matters and deposit experienced in conventional bottled mixtures marketed in a bottled state, and which allows the user to mix a precise amount of the additive with the contents of the receptacle of the bottle to prepare the mixture, thus preventing change in taste and quality of the mixture in the case of preparing a mixed beverage through the mixing, and preventing incomplete dissolution of effective ingredients of the additive in the contents of the receptacle or a failure of accomplishment of desired medical or chemical effects of the mixture in the case of preparing a mixed medicine or a mixed chemical through the mixing, and which allows the user to be free from inconvenience caused by separate purchasing and handling of a conventional additive container and bottle.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a bottle having a receptacle suitable for holding a miscellaneous substance therein and a mouth leading into the receptacle. The bottle further can have a cap for opening and closing the mouth of the bottle. The bottle houses a container therein. The container is formed to hold a substance therein and release the substance into the receptacle when the container is squeezed with the application of at least a predetermined amount of pressure. The container has a first member and a second member overlapping at least a portion of the first member in a slideable engagement to define a cavity therein capable of holding a substance therein. The second member has an opening formed through the surface, which is sufficiently sized to allow for a discharge of a substance contained in the cavity to be discharged therethrough. A cover is formed on the second member closing the opening. The first member and second member are formed and positioned so that squeezing the first member toward the second member causes the first member to slide into the second member and open the cover of the second member to expose the opening of the second member.
The first member can have an auxiliary opening formed thereon which provides additional passage for the discharge of a substance within the cavity of the container when the first member and second member are squeezed and moved together towards one another to open the cover. The bottle can also have one or more wings protruding from the container to prevent escape of the container through the mouth of the bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an isolated view of the container of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 cut along the 44 line;
FIG. 5 is an isolated view of the container of the present invention showing the container in a squeezed state;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 cut along the 6-6 line;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 cut along the 7-7 line;
FIG. 8 is an isolated top view of the first member of the container;
FIG. 9 is an isolated bottom view of the first member of the container;
FIG. 10 is an isolated top view of the second member of the container; and
FIG. 11 is a front view of the present invention showing the present invention in a squeezed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components.
FIGS. 1 through 12 show the bottle 10 according to the present invention. The bottle 10 has a receptacle 14 suitable for holding a miscellaneous substance therein such as a beverage, detergent, chemical, cleanser, or other solution. The bottle 10 also has a mouth 15 leading into the receptacle 14. The bottle 10 further has a cap 16 for opening and closing the mouth 15 of the bottle 10. The receptacle 14 is made of a relatively flexible material allowing for the receptacle 14 to be squeezed with the application of a predetermined amount of pressure.
The bottle 10 of the present invention houses a container 20 therein. The container 20 is formed to hold a substance therein and release the substance into the receptacle 14 when the container 20 is squeezed with the application of a predetermined amount of pressure. The receptacle 14 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 11 for purposes of illustration is translucent so that the container 20 is visible through the receptacle 14. The container 20 has a first member 21 and a second member 25 as shown in FIGS. 3 through 10. As shown in the illustrations, the second member 25 is slideably placed over at least a portion of the first member 21. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the first member 21 and second member 25 define a cavity 27 therein capable of holding a substance therein. The second member 25 has an opening 29 formed through the surface. The opening 29 is of a sufficient size to allow for a discharge of a substance contained in the cavity 27 to be discharged therethrough. A cover 30 is formed on the second member 25 closing the opening. The first member 21 and second member 25 are formed and positioned so that squeezing the first member 21 toward the second member 25 causes the first member 21 to open the cover 30 of the second member 25 to expose the opening 29 of the second member 25.
FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 shows the container in a closed position. In this closed position, any substance in the container 20 is held within the cavity 27 with the cover 30 closing the opening 29 of the second member 25. FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 11 show the container 20 in an open position. In this open position, the cover 30 closing the opening 29 of the second member 25 is opened to expose the opening 29 so that any substance in the container 20 is discharged through the opening 29 of the second member 25. The container 20 can be moved from the closed position to the open position by squeezing the first member 21 and second member 25 together towards one another with the application of at least a predetermined amount of force. Squeezing the container 20 causes the first member 21 to slide into the second member 25 to get to the open position. In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, as the container 20 is squeezed and moved towards the open position, the cover 30 is opened by the front edge 34 of the first member 21 sliding into the cover 30. Also, in the embodiment shown, a pair of sloped protrusions 35 is formed near the front edge 34 of the first member 21 to press against the cover 30 and open the cover 30 as the container 20 is moved to the open position. Additionally, in the embodiment shown, a catch 36 protrudes from the first member 21 in a position formed to prevent the first member 21 from sliding into the second member 25 unless the first member 21 and second member 25 are squeezed together toward one another with at least a predetermined amount of force. In the closed position, the catch 36 is located exposed outside of the second member 25. Also, in the embodiment shown, an auxiliary opening 38 is formed on the first member 21. The auxiliary opening 38 is placed on the first member 21 so that in the closed position, the auxiliary opening 38 is covered by the second member 25, and so that in the open position, the auxiliary opening 38 is exposed and in communication with the opening 29 of the second member 25 so that any substance in the cavity 27 can be discharged via the opening 29 of the second member 25 and the auxiliary opening 38 of the first member 21.
The bottle 10 also has one or more wings 40 protruding from the container 20. For purposes of illustration, the figures show four wings 40 protruding from the container 20. The wings 20 are sized and formed to prevent the container 20 from exiting the receptacle 14 through the mouth 15. In addition, the bottle 10 as shown in FIG. 1 further comprises a recess 44 formed in the receptacle 14 to hold the container 20 in position within the receptacle 14. In the alternative, as shown in FIG. 2, the ends 45 of the container 20 can be attached to the receptacle 14.
In use of the bottle 10 of the present invention, an additive can be placed within the container 20 of the bottle 10. Also, a substance can be placed in the receptacle 14 of the bottle 10. Prior to use of the bottle 10, the additive in the container 20 (the container being in the closed position) is held separately from the contents held in the receptacle 14 of the bottle 10. The additive in the container 20 is released and mixed with the contents held in the receptacle 14 in accordance with a squeezing action of the container 14, performed by a user, thereby allowing the user to easily prepare the mixture just before taking or using the mixture. The bottle 10 of the present invention allows the additive in the container 20 and contents held in the receptacle 14 to be maintained in pure states without being mixed together until the time desired by the user.
Although embodiments of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A bottle, comprising:

a receptacle;

a mouth leading into the receptacle;

a container disposed in said receptacle, said container formed for containing a substance therein;

said container formed and positioned in said receptacle so that squeezing a predetermined position on said receptacle will squeeze said container and cause an opening to be formed on said container.

2. The bottle as described in claim 1 wherein said container comprises:

a first member;

a second member positioned slideably over at least a portion of the first member, said second member having an opening;

a cover formed on said second member closing said opening; and,

said first member and second member formed and positioned so that squeezing said first member toward said second member causes said first member to open said cover of said second member to expose said opening of said second member.

3. The bottle as described in claim 1 further comprising one or more wings protruding from the container, said one or more wings sized and formed to prevent said container from exiting the receptacle through the mouth.

4. The bottle as described in claim 1 further comprising a recess formed in the receptacle to hold said container in position within the receptacle.

5. The bottle as described in claim 2 further comprising a catch protruding from said first member; said catch formed to prevent said first member from sliding into said second member unless the first member and second member are squeezed toward one another with at least a predetermined amount of force.

6. In a bottle having a receptacle for containing a substance therein and a mouth leading into said receptacle, with the improvement comprising:

a container disposed in said receptacle, said container having a first member and a second member disposed slideably over at least a portion of the first member, said first member and second member defining a cavity therein capable of holding an additive therein;

said second member having an opening;

a cover formed on said second member closing said opening; and,

7. The bottle as described in claim 6 further comprising a catch protruding from said first member; said catch formed to prevent said first member from sliding into said second member unless the first member and second member are squeezed toward one another with at least a predetermined amount of force.

8. The bottle as described in claim 6 further comprising one or more wings protruding from the container, said one or more wings sized and formed to prevent said container from exiting the receptacle through the mouth.

9. The bottle as described in claim 6 further comprising a recess formed in the receptacle to hold said container in position within the receptacle.

10. In a bottle having a receptacle for containing a substance therein and a mouth leading into said receptacle, with the improvement comprising:

said second member having an opening;

said first member having an auxiliary opening, which is covered by the second member;

a cover formed on said second member closing said opening;

said first member and second member formed and positioned so that squeezing said first member toward said second member causes said first member to open said cover of said second member to expose said opening of said second member and causes said auxiliary opening of said first member to become exposed; and,

said first member and second member formed and positioned so that squeezing said first member toward said second member causes said auxiliary opening of said first member to become exposed.

11. The bottle as described in claim 10 further comprising a catch protruding from said first member; said catch formed to prevent said first member from sliding into said second member unless the first member and second member are squeezed toward one another with at least a predetermined amount of force.

12. The bottle as described in claim 10 further comprising one or more wings protruding from the container, said one or more wings sized and formed to prevent said container from exiting the receptacle through the mouth.

13. The bottle as described in claim 10 further comprising a recess formed in the receptacle to hold said container in position within the receptacle.